By Jay Menard,

Go ahead, pick any superlative out of a hat. Absolute Magic is an absolutely enjoyable hour’s worth of amazement, entertainment, and wonder performed by London’s own master of the mystic arts, Keith Brown.

One caveat: it’s a magic show. Magic is one of those things that polarize people — some love it; some hate it. I choose to be amazed and astounded by magic. So I admit that I’m predisposed to enjoying it. But what’s undeniable is Brown’s continued growth and refinement as a performance magician.

Bad magicians are a dime a dozen; good ones — and make no mistake, Brown is a good one — separate themselves by the way they interact with their audience. Brown’s got a solid cadence to his performance; his banter doesn’t feel forced or over-rehearsed; and he effectively involves the crowd in his show without making them feel uncomfortable.

Brown progresses through card tricks, Mentalism, and a Houdini-esque version of the East Indian Needle Trick. He also intersperses personal anecdotes from over a decade’s worth of magic experience to entertain the crowd — including one story of a trick gone wrong.

Brown is eminently likable, self-effacing, and — most importantly — entertaining. He’s a must-see on the Fringe circuit.

But you’ll want to catch him before he disappears. Brown may be London’s own, but at the rate he’s going and with the talent he possesses, he won’t be long for the Forest City as larger stages and venues beckon.

This opening weekend review has been posted on behalf of Theatre in London.ca.